Aye Nako – “White Noise” (First Listen)

Aye Nako are the sharp-tongued punk foursome responsible for Unleash Yourself, one of the most underrated and overlooked LPs of 2013. The Brooklyn band is back with a new EP called The Blackest Eye — named after the Toni Morrison novel of a similar name — and their new song “White Noise” contains the same pointed politics that inhabited their debut, only with a darker musical edge. Singer/songwriter Mars Dixon uses the lyrics to reconcile their conflicted feelings about their race — “I’ve let white noise fuzz in my head for so long” — and turns the lens around to focus on society, castigating us for how we depict and react to the black experience in the media: “Oh yeah, you’re just confused about the creatures you read in the news/ Oh yeah, you’re totally confused: “Well, if it’s printed, it must be true… Man, I ain’t never seen what it’s like. Why cut out a cross section of our lives when I can wipe my ass with it?” It’s a deft characterization from one of the best bands around to tackle these kinds of pressing issues head on. Listen below.